If Someone You Know and Love is Gay: Part I
The acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage has advanced beyond our wildest imaginations. Some of you may have a spouse, a child, a parent, a family member, or a friend who is a homosexual: possessing a same-sex attraction. When it comes to the issue of the culture accepting homosexuality and accepting same-sex marriage; the Church is losing this battle. The acceptance of same-sex marriage is a result of many years of removing God’s absolute truth and intentionally leaving God out of our thinking.Further, I believe we are seeing one of many attitudes that is preparing the world for the events of the Book of Revelation where history aswe know it, comes to an end. Once truth is removed, the door is wide open for “anything goes.”How has the Church failed?
- By remaining silent on the subject.
- By caving in to compromise
- By showing an attitude of anger, contempt and hatefulness towards those who are struggling with homosexuality.
I believe all three of these approaches are wrong. We must begin to get this right because the stakes are way too high. God forgive us for losing the battle because of any un-Christlike attitudes or sinful, fearful silence. The Church must be the communicator of truth, God’s truth. The cultural acceptance of homosexuality in churches will be the new norm, however God’s truth about marriage has not and will not change. Just look at the United Methodist Church who now affirms the marrying of homosexuals. How should we respond?God’s character and His Word are at stake. God defined marriage, and He defined sin. He defined what’s true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. Future generations—your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren—will be affected by what the Church, by what Christians do in addressing homosexuality.Jesus was 100% grace and He was 100% truth, consistently, all the time with all people, in all situations. “Truth points out the problem, but grace supplies the solution” (Anne Graham Lotz).We must demonstrate God’s grace, all the while standing on God’s truth. Grace is the riverbed through which truth can flow. Grace is the frame, and truth is the picture. Grace is generous love. Homosexuality is sin, plain and simple. However, homosexuals are to be the object of God’s love. When we share God’s truth in God’s love, we have an opportunity for change.In the next blog we will explore specifically what we can do as Christians to address this sensitive issue. More about a Christian’s response in our next blog.